Home-Based Care

The AIDS epidemic continues to maintain its grip on Malawi where 1 in 10 of the adult population are HIV positive. HIV related illnesses combined with overstretched hospital systems continue to result in a need for long term palliative care in the home. The Malawi HBC is working to meet the need by training church volunteers to be able to provide such care through weekly visits to patients & their carers to give practical, emotional & spiritual support as well as nutritional supplements. The project is working in 6 rural locations, with more than 110 volunteers caring for300 patients & their families. The program has also provided basic pastoral care training to 2 additional churches who are mobilising their own resources to start project sin their communities and it is planned to replicate this more locally self-sustainable approach in other churches over the coming years.
The program also promotes and seed funds the introduction of small income generating projects and local savings & loan schemes to help alleviate poverty of beneficiaries who have no alternative income, and also to work towards greater program self-sustainability.